


Taking My Heart

by RainbowRunway



Category: BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: Also RAS best band, CHU2 needs more love, Camp Nanowrimo, Everyone else besides CHU2 and PAREO don't appear that much, F/F, I also don't know what constitutes as angst, I am a proud CHU2 stan, I have no idea what constitutes as fluff, POV Multiple, Present Tense, What genre do I even put this under, just a little, kinda fluffy??, this is unbeta'ed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-27
Updated: 2019-04-27
Packaged: 2020-01-13 03:00:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18460103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainbowRunway/pseuds/RainbowRunway
Summary: Tamade Chiyu is a young producer with many struggles of her own. With the production of her band wearing her out and an upcoming show, she does everything she can to write a new song. But...is there something that influences said writing? The reason must lie within the group's keyboardist, Nyubara Reona.





	Taking My Heart

**Author's Note:**

> I entirely came up with the "backstory" at the start so don't mind that, also RAS needs more love, so I wrote this. I'm 100% sure there are characterization issues, we die like men //shot  
> But take this...I don't even know, unbeta'ed garbage. Hope you like it.
> 
> P.S. RAS ftw

**_April 15th, 2019_ **

As a producer, I usually have my work cut out for me. It tires me, it sometimes gives me a sore throat. My legs would go numb after sitting on my chair for hours on end, my fingers might have a few cuts here and there from using my DJ set too much, the strain I feel after composing for too long overwhelms me. My eyes burn from the glare of the computer screen, my head fares no better, pounding painfully even when I'm in bed, which, truth to be told, isn't often. 

I'm determined. I'm determined to finish what I've started. I can't go back to before, I don't want to. Right now is the best time, where my band would shine. We'd raise the curtains on a brand new era of bands.

That's what my group is named after. We are...RAISE A SUILEN. A relatively new one, mind you, yet I'm confident we'll rise. Look at Roselia, I'll admit they're good, but the vocalist...the hell was her name...Yukina. She rejected my offer to join me! Who'd do that? The same goes for Hanazono, she would've been so happy, playing together with Layer, but in the end, she chose the worse path. 

I know what people recognize me as. I've heard people whispering. If I let slip even one outburst, if I openly praised RAS, they'd laugh. Even now their sneering can be heard clear as day, and what's frustrating is that I don't have my claims to back me up as of now. We've only had one self-sponsored live. So many others? They've had countless. I hate to admit it, but...the public? They're right. What's a tiny, 14 year old 'producer' going to do? Change the world?

"Don't make me laugh", they say, "what can you do?"

No one understands. No one. At times, even working with the band is torture. With every position I point out, guilt creeps in. How about songs? The only times where I feel truly free is during our performances, where we're allowed to make as much noise as we wanted. Outside of that, though, staying optimistic is hard. Confidence and negativity constantly clash, with nowhere else to go.

Despite everything, I'm not going to give up. There's no way I will. I'll show those horrid adults, I'll prove the public wrong. I'll make sure to carve our names into those other bands. With our music, we'll shock the world. I swear on it. Recklessness? Outrageous? Just ignore it all. Our first live was a huge success, what else could possibly go wrong? 

I've always hated showing weakness. A producer must be strong, confident, dignified. That night where I was rejected by Yukina...I remember screaming in anger about how I'd destroy Roselia. A proper, yet improper response. It's in my nature, I seem to be a very impulsive person. There's nothing wrong with that, there's nothing crazy about insisting RAS is the best. We really are, after all, I'd never lie about that.

...Huh, look at the time. It's really late now, but it's normal at this point. There's nothing I haven't done that isn't  _productive_. Well, it's already rare that I'm writing this instead of doing something related to RAS, so...I guess that's that. I've had enough of ranting, though, it just isn't like me. You'll see in a little while...

Good night.

* * *

Chiyu sighs as she sits back in her tall black chair, looking around the studio. It seems that no one's here yet except her. Well, it's a few hours earlier than practice time, so she supposes that it's natural. She pulls out her phone, navigating to the RAS chatroom to see what's happening.

_[16th April, 2019, 4:12PM]_

_PastelPareo <3: Is CHU2-sama around?_

_Lay: She doesn't seem to be reading our messages. Maybe she's busy?_

_Popipa's #1 Fan!!: Ah, you could try sending her a PM later, Pareo-chan. I-I'm sure she's doing her best for the band!_

Strangely, Chiyu's fingers grip the phone tighter, moving over the keyboard faster than she could think. It's strange as to why exactly they moved as fast as they did, but Chiyu pays no attention to the small details.

_RAS Producer, CHU2: What do you need?_

_Masuking: Oh, she replied @PastelPareo <3_

_PastelPareo <3: CHU2-SAMAAAAA!! I'm so glad you messaged back~!_

_RAS Producer, CHU2: Get on with what you wanted to say._

_PastelPareo <3: I'm coming over to the studio now! Sooooooooooo, do you need me to get anything on the way?_

_RAS Producer, CHU2: Just the usual, Pareo. Nothing else. Come over quickly._

_PastelPareo <3: Ooh! Does CHU2-sama miss me?? I miss you too! ^_^_

Chiyu groans. She has a feeling that Reona's already somewhere hiding in the studio.

_RAS Producer, CHU2: No, of course not!! Just...come over. Now._

_PastelPareo <3: Of course, CHU2-sama!_

After a few minutes of impatiently tapping her foot on the ground, the door opens, Reona bursting in. She skips over to Chiyu's desk, dropping the small plastic bag of jerky beside the producer before hopping away cheerfully. Chiyu raises an eyebrow. "Well, you seem to be...energetic today."

"I get to be alone with CHU2-sama, how could I not be?" Reona replies, optimism leaking from her all-too-clearly. Chiyu smacks her forehead with a palm. 

"Of course."

"A-ny-way! What's the plan for today?" 

Chiyu grabs a paper from beside her, reading what's written on it. "Well...we'll do our usual warm-ups, then immediately get into practice. I've finished composing a new song that I'll let you guys listen to later, too."

"What's it called?" Reona is thoroughly intrigued now, walking over to Chiyu's side and peering at the paper. Chiyu shoos her away lightly.

"...I haven't decided."

The keyboardist pouts, and Chiyu can't help but think that it's a little _cute_. "Awwww, that's a shame! But, I'm sure CHU2-sama will come up with something wonderful!"

As Chiyu as about to reply, the door opens, and the other three members walk in. Rei gives a little wave, Masuki has the same stoic expression on her face as always, and Rokka is quietly humming one of Popipa's tunes as she shuts the door behind her. Chiyu grins, energetically getting up.

"Come one, come all, for this brand new creation is what we're practicing today! It's gonna be  _super awesome!_ " She gestures to the others to come over, which they do, peering at the screen which shows an unnamed music score. They study the notes on it for a while, until Rei breaks the silence.

"Do you have a recording or a sample?"

" _Of course!_ " Chiyu immediately replies, inserting a seemingly blank CD into the computer. The machine processes it, a new music player window opening up. The song plays, and everyone listens. It starts off strangely slowly, with only the piano backing it up. Then, all at once, every instrument comes in, the song becoming more and more powerful in mere seconds. The vocals are...well, of Chiyu's voice, singing softly yet strongly. The tempo slows from time to time, seamlessly transitioning between soft and loud. When the sample ends, everyone is silent for a second.

"I think it's really nice, CHU2-chan." Rokka says, smiling. "It fits...our image."

Rei has a little more to say. "We could all refine this together. I liked it, but I'm sure it'll be even better if we work on it as a group."

Masuki being Masuki, she shrugs. "It's not bad, I guess. I'd prefer to do it with all of us around though, as Layer mentioned."

"I produce your music, though I suppose we  _could_ do some extra fine-tuning. But before we do anything, let's get the music going first!" She clicks around for a bit, before rolling her chair over to the printer beside her, where said machine prints the music scores. 4 clean scores of the new song come out, and Chiyu hands one to each member.

When Reona receives her copy, she yells, "The song was soooo amazing!! As expected of the great CHU2-sama!!" Chiyu barely manages to escape from Reona's attempted glomp, getting out of her chair in record time. She scratches her head while all the other members giggle at their antics.

"L-let's forget about that! Anyway, it's time to get started, _let's go!"_

The four girls scurry over to their practice area and pick up their instruments, taking a little time to ensure they were all working and tuned correctly. They nod, and Chiyu clicks on something, blasting the music behind them for reference. They begin, and it to Reona, it seems harsher than usual.

* * *

When the last note of the song rings, everyone's breathing heavily after an intense training session. Chiyu had been especially strict about the composition of this particular song, and drilled it into the members' brains. Her fingers are slightly calloused from the work she had been doing behind the computer, but she's used to the feeling already. Finally satisfied, though, she lies back in her chair and crosses her legs, smiling as she removes her headphones, placing them to the side. 

"Well done, everyone! I think we can wrap it up for today."

The band is visibly relieved to hear this, already packing up their instruments and drinking some water. After a goodbye and some comments on practice, they chat happily as they walk out the door. Everyone's involved in the conversation.

Everyone except Reona.

Even during practice, she couldn't focus on anything else besides Chiyu, playing music for her. It was like her fingers had moved on autopilot, pressing the keys without Reona even aware. Only Chiyu was on her mind. She thought about how Chiyu had been doing so much for the band, she could practically see the exhaustion in her expression as she instructed the members on how they should play the song. That's why she admired Chiyu. The dedication, the talent. After all, she was only able to find RAS, and so many more, because of Chiyu. 

She had pulled Reona out of the darkness.

Reona remembers the day she had dedicated herself to the young producer. It was a choice she'd never regret. Every practice, Chiyu would show up, all happy and confident. Energetic. Her usual loud, jerky-loving self. Yet, at times, Reona would catch her acting strangely. Suppressing frequent yawns, rarely, but slightly sluggish movements, occasionally clutching the side of her head while glaring at her screen while no one else is looking at her. She wouldn't usually be doing all this. Not in front of RAS. Not anytime.

She'd always thought of Chiyu as an exemplary role model. Smart, talented and kind - she was all of that. Reona was confident that she'd never falter, ever. That leading the band was a fun, simple task for her. That there was nothing wrong with her.

Now that Reona thinks about it...was she mistaken? After seeing Chiyu's recent behavior, she couldn't deny it, the thought of it made her head hurt. There was something in her that wanted to reach out a hand, to help. The more she saw Chiyu struggling, the more she wanted to just do something.  _Anything._ Was it pity? Was it mere sympathy?

No. She wants to be the one to help Chiyu this time. She's sure of it. But...she thought, was there something else, another  _reason?_

The word pops into her head for a moment, then disappears like mist blown away in the wind. She doesn't dwell on it, and turns around to look at Chiyu, who's still working, one more time before she walks out of the room.

* * *

It's impossibly late when Chiyu finally finishes the last touches on the song. She'd have Rei practice on the vocals another time, but the instruments are what need to stand out. A sigh escaping her lips, she opens up the score with the lyrics on it. It's incomplete. It's imperfect. It just doesn't fit RAS. A producer of such a professional band must not waver. With that thought in mind, she shakes off everything else in her head and squints to focus on the words. 

She knows that it'd be best to consult the others for their input, but pride holds her back. She glances at the clock. Its hands are inching closer to midnight. Time to skip another day of school, she supposes, as she grabs a small can of coffee from the side table, taking a sip. It's bitter and disgusting, but vital for her to stay awake. As the can clinks back against the table, Chiyu's grip on the mouse tightens. Since when had lyrics been so difficult to write?

Suddenly, a thought hits her like a train crash. An image flashes in her head. Unconsciously, her fingers dance over the keys of the keyboard, filling in the lyrics faster than she ever noticed. Words form on the blank spaces as Chiyu writes all her feelings out. Her emotions. She forces them all out into sentences. She'd make sure this was the  _perfect song._ One that delivers what she wants to say.

It doesn't help that Reona occupies a large space of her mind, either. The more she thinks of her members, especially Reona, the faster she types. Formatting and editing comes later. The sound of the keys being pressed gets louder. Chiyu can only focus on the screen. When she reaches the end of the document, the trance stops abruptly, Chiyu suddenly freezing. She blinks and takes a moment to look at what she had just written. Her eyes scan over the words. Why did the newly-reworked lyrics remind her so much of Reona? There's no way she'd written this song  _just_ for her, right?

She shakes her head and presses the play button. The lyrics...they fit together with the music like two jigsaw pieces. It was perfect. Frustratingly perfect. With the music accompaniment, she pauses the song, resets it, and hits record. With a quiet voice unlike her, she sings into the night. She continues, reset, play, record. Reset, play, record.

Reona's smile when Chiyu praises her or the group has a successful live lingers in her head. It just powers Chiyu's determination. A voice rings. If you listen close enough, you can hear the voice of a young girl, singing, waiting for that one flawless take. It would require thousands of tries. The song repeats, the voice cracks, gets worn out. But it still goes on.

Until she gets it absolutely spotless, there is no such thing as a 'break'.

* * *

The next day, there's no practice, but Reona feels obligated to go to the building where they did their work. She takes the lift, walks out to the garden outside, and opens the studio door. She finds Chiyu fast asleep on her arms pressing into the keyboard, headphones having fallen off. She debates on whether to wake her up or not, but grabs a small chair nearby and sits. She has no jerky today, though - she wanted to get there as soon as possible. She glances at Chiyu, who is visibly exhausted. There's a small microphone by the desk, a can of coffee, and the packet of jerky Reona bought for her, but had not opened. Reona smiles. She enjoys these peaceful moments. There's something in her that begs to be freed every time she sees Chiyu, something that Reona can't express in front of her. 

Quietly, she gets up to look at the computer screen, which was still turned on. It seemed that Chiyu had forgotten to switch it off. On it, there's the music score they worked on the previous practice, and new words at the bottom. Beside the score, there's another program open, the lyrics plainly pasted onto the document. Reona has to actually read the whole thing more than 4 times to finally get an idea of what they're actually saying. 

"Huh...?" She says softly, slightly confused. "Is this...a song written for me?"

There's no way this is true. It must've just been a coincidence. She hurriedly goes back to her seat in case Chiyu catches her snooping, but she knocks over a few things over the table in the process. She yelps uncharacteristically, ignoring the fallen items and dashing back to her chair. Unfortunately for her, at that moment, Chiyu opens her eyes slowly, yawning. It takes a few seconds for her to realize what's going on.

"I fell asleep? Oh, that's right...I had to finish recording..."

Just then, she notices Reona sitting a small distance away from her. She's so surprised, she nearly falls off her chair in shock. "P-PAREO?!" She yells. "W-what are you doing here? There's no practice today!"

"Oh, CHU2-samaaaa! I'm so glad to see you again! You see, I wanted to spend more time with you, so I decided to drop by!" Reona declares cheerfully.

Chiyu inhales sharply; she doesn't know how to respond for some strange reason. If it were a usual day, she'd just sigh and tell Reona to help her buy something from the convenience store if she didn't have jerky beside her, but she did, so that was a no-go. She notices the things lying on the floor, the ones Reona had accidentally toppled earlier, and her voice comes out loud and confident, thank  _god_. She pauses, glances at her computer, and looks back at Reona.

"Did you...look at the lyrics on my screen, by any chance?"

Reona freezes. That alone tells Chiyu what she needs to know. She sighs. "Haa...well, I had to reveal it some way or another, so I suppose it's fine."

"CHU2-sama?"

"Yes?"

"Who did you refer to in the lyrics? It seems like it's about someone." Reona tries to appear purely curious, but she can't tell if the small emotion she feels inside is a glimmer of hope. If it indeed was about her, then it would be the perfect time to tell her, she thought. She waited for the response.

"I can't...tell you that. Not now." Chiyu's voice takes on a slightly bitter tone, as if she were regretting her actions. "When the real show starts, you'll know. But I can't say anything now."

Reona nods, smiling sadly. "That's fine! I'm sure you have your reasons." She looks around, standing up. "I better go now! I need to get home soon. See you tomorrow, CHU2-sama!"

With a cheerful cry, she jumps up and nearly dashes out the door, happily waving as she leaves. Chiyu is again left alone with her thoughts once she's gone.

"It's so obvious..." She glances at her screen. "I wouldn't be surprised if she already knew. What  _is_ up with me? Thinking of her all the time, even writing a song about her...!"

For some reason, whenever she sees Reona, laughing and all bubbly, she feels strangely invigorated, as if a small flame burns in her, undying. Her heart throbs like someone knocking on her door. No matter how much Chiyu put it to the side, the flame refuses to die. The knocking just wouldn't stop. She knows what it is. She just doesn't want to acknowledge it. Not until the live. Not yet. When the time arrives, it'll come to her as easily as breathing. She's sure of it.

* * *

The day finally arrives after many more harsh yet fun practice sessions. It's time for RAS to majestically raise the curtains on their new song, the very same one Chiyu has so many questions about. They're preparing backstage, it's almost their turn, when Reona approaches Chiyu once more.

"CHU2-samaaa!" She shouts, running up to said producer. When Chiyu raises an eyebrow, her voice audibly quietens. "After this live...will you tell me about the song? I remember what you promised, after all."

Stunned for a second, a thousand thoughts run through Chiyu's head. Should she tell Reona, or should she not? Even so, would she be accepting? She  _did_ promise...

"Yeah! It's a promise, PAREO." She smiles slightly. Reona squeals in delight at that, covered head to toe in fangirl energy all over again.

"Kyaa! Thank you, CHU2-sama!"

Chiyu laughs lightly, gesturing to the door as she hears someone in the background telling the group that it's their turn to perform. When they head up the stairs to the stage, a rush of adrenaline flows through her. It must be Reona, she muses, adjusting her headphones slightly. She could feel her heart pounding, even as they revealed themselves to the excited crowd and got their instruments ready. Truly, behind her DJ set is where she feels the most at home - no thought could ever take away those exciting moments.

This time, perhaps her mind succeeded this time, in distracting her, anyway.

Ever so often, while Rei sings with her powerful voice, delivering the message Chiyu had written, Masuki and Rokka backing her up with their grand instrumentals, Chiyu keeps noticing Reona taking a few seconds to glance at her before going back to her keyboard. Chiyu never acknowledged those looks, she's too busy with her own DJ work. Her fingers run over the knobs and plugs along the table, flipping switches, occasionally pausing. Sweat drips down in her efforts, glistening in the flashing spotlights.

But once she sees an opening, she looks to Reona, who inevitably stares right back at her. The keyboardist is the first of the two to grin, the typical Reona. If she's trying to beat Chiyu in a game of attraction, then Chiyu would gladly take the challenge. She won't simply let Reona charm her with her simple gestures, especially not during a live. Her sky-blue eyes twinkle knowingly, refusing to let herself get outmatched. Even through the loud, even deafening music, she smiles back.

Reona sees it and nearly swoons, Chiyu laughing to herself at this. Even so, she can't understand why she's so...open. Is it the live? Is it the tension? On normal circumstances, she would never so openly return one's...what she knows is 'affection'. In front of a crowd, no less. She can't understand these bottled-up feelings and emotions she never realized she's always had for Reona. It was strange. It must be the feeling of freedom she loves so much, obtainable only during performances, that allows her to so freely express herself.

Still, she thought, it's good. 

Chiyu is very much aware of how she feels towards Reona. She's just never shown it, not to herself, not to others. As she presses the last button, turns the last knob, the music ends. The song is over. She hadn't even realized it. This is the first time this had ever happened, where she just doesn't pay attention to the present, her hands automatically doing the work for her while she just floats in her own space. They bow, the excited screaming of the audience filling the room, and Rei thanks everyone for their support, greeted by another wave of excited calls from everyone watching. Then, they inevitably walk off, the lights dimming.

As soon as they're backstage again, Chiyu requests time away from everyone, to which they nod. She specially asks Reona to come with her, but no one questions it. Reona's the first to speak up when they do find privacy.

"CHU2-sama--"

"PAREO." Chiyu interrupts, effectively silencing her. She's a little surprised to see Chiyu's face redden slightly. "You were...right, about the song. That's correct. I wrote it for you. Why, I'm not too sure myself, but...I have a hunch. A hunch I don't want to acknowledge as true." She relaxes just a little. "See, I've been experiencing weird...things. And it's always revolving around you. A painful, rapidly beating heart when I see you, thoughts lingering on you too much, even the song. I never understood what it was all about. Until the live. That's when I realized...that smile I showed you...it made me feel better and more relieved than I have ever have been. It's strange."

Reona doesn't know how to feel. It's pure joy, but she can't properly express it. "CHU2-sama..."

Chiyu crosses her arms, cheeks pink, looking away. "It's not that I love you! It's nothing more than appreciation, okay? So don't take it the wrong way!"

Reona laughs. "I don't mind that at all, CHU2-sama!" She's much more confident about her feelings. "Well, I love you, and I promise to be suuuuper loyal to you forever and ever and ever and ever..." 

"So, will you continue to look after me?"

"Of course, CHU2-sama!"

Trying to reach up but failing miserably, she groans in irritation. Reona giggles and bends down, allowing Chiyu to firmly grip onto Reona's shoulders.

"And since you'll do that, I'll make sure to...do the same for you. It's a deal! B-but it's just to keep things fair...!"

"Okaaaay!" For some reason, Chiyu feels like Reona was waiting for the big confession. Well, Chiyu's not gonna give it up so easily. Though, deep down inside, she really did love her dorky keyboardist. She's just too shy to admit it, or is it just her being adamant about the whole thing? Nonetheless, Reona is soon skipping out the room, practically emitting sparkles and flowers. She turns and beckons Chiyu to follow. "We've gotta get back to everyone, right?" She winks. Chiyu smacks her forehead, but follows and leaves anyway.

The band, understandably, is suspicious when the two emerge. Masuki crosses her arms.

"Where  _were_ you guys? We've been waiting here for almost half an hour."

While Rokka and Rei try to pacify an increasingly ticked-off Masuki, Reona just titters away, Chiyu glancing at her disapprovingly.

"It's nothing~!" She sings, adding to Masuki's suspicion. The drummer turns her attention to Chiyu. 

"CHU2. What's going on?"

Much to her frustration, Chiyu only blinks. "PAREO's got the answer."

As Masuki just mutters something under her breath, Rokka chimes in.

"Shouldn't we be going soon?"

Masuki eventually drops the topic with a roll of her eyes as the rest agree, packing up and making sure they had their instruments with them before they made their way out. They chat about more senseless things, and this time, Chiyu and Reona actually participate in the conversation, but not before they silently and secretly nod to each other.

Perhaps, admitting her feelings wouldn't be so bad, Chiyu thinks. Even when she gets home, the prospect still lingers in her mind.

* * *

_**5th May, 2019** _

The day of our meticulously planned live has finally passed. Why, I'm so happy with the success! Though it was to be expected, hehe. Some unexpected results did come out of it, too. You see...I'll tell you all about a very curious story. Again, it's not like me at all to tell you this, so appreciate it!

The day I had unveiled the song I'd been painstakingly working on, I was a lot stricter than I thought I would be. And when everyone left, I decided to stay behind to rewrite the lyrics. I was stumped at first - I didn't know what to write. Then, it hit me. The second I thought of PAREO, it was like someone else had been controlling me. By the time I had tuned back in, I had a page full of lyrics...and dedicated to her! I didn't know what to think. Judging by the signs, I had a small inkling of what it was - but I pushed it aside to get to recording the voice sample. My voice isn't that great, of course, I'm meant to be a DJ, not a vocalist - but it was a  _sample._

Anyway, the next day, PAREO actually came to the studio even though there was no practice. And she caught me sleeping...how embarrassing! Turns out that she had peeked at the lyrics on my screen while I was asleep, and she asked me whether it was about her. She's a sharp one, but I told her that I couldn't give her the answer until the end of the live. Spoiler: I kept my promise.

After that day, practice was grueling. I wanted it to be absolutely perfect, so I worked everyone to the bone, yet they seemed to be having fun, so in the moment I never felt guilty. Practice, practice, practice, we only worked on that one song every session. I knew the rest of the set list was ready to go. It was just  _that song_. I never did tell PAREO the name I had decided on, only LAYER. And even then, I told her to keep it a secret. I won't tell anyone else, not even you! Everyone, including myself, pulled it off by the end of the final practice, and I  _knew_ it was gonna be a huge success.

Of course, I was right! It totally shocked the audience like... _bang!_ Before we knew it, we were facing a screaming audience with our hands in the air, trying to catch our breaths, and as fast as it all happened, we were off the stage. I'm still thinking about the live. PAREO kept smiling at me, but I wasn't gonna let her outmatch me! I ignored her at first, but gave in and smiled back when there was a pause in the song. I wonder why I could so openly...smile like that. Normally, I would be shaking my head, just...not acknowledging it. Maybe it was the live, the pure freedom I feel when I perform with the band, that allowed me to embrace my emotions towards PAREO. Love is a strange thing, indeed! After the live, I indirectly confessed. There's no way I'd straight-up tell her I was in love with her! Who do you think I am?!

PAREO's different, though. She very shamelessly told me, "I love you, CHU2-sama!" or something around those lines, but I very clearly remember her using the phrase 'I love you'. After an exchange of words and promises, we regrouped with the rest of RAS and headed home. As we all talked about random things and utter nonsense, laughing and having petty arguments, I looked at PAREO. She looked back. We nodded. Even I'm not sure of what that was supposed to be. A nod of love? Of affirmation? I have no idea, even now.

There  _is_ one thing I realized, though; I thought long and hard about it, even when I was in bed and perhaps, in my dreams. Having fun with the band like this, those long, hard nights of composing - maybe, just maybe, it isn't as difficult as I had envisioned. Shall I confess to PAREO eventually? We'll see. Now, I wish RAS would stay like this, even if things go rough.

We'll overcome it. I know we will. Who do you think we are?

We are RAISE A SUILEN. With these feelings by my side, we'll show this world who's boss!

**Author's Note:**

> I can't come up with original lyrics to save my life (so that's why I didn't actually include lyrics in the fic) but is totally inspired by RAS' new single preview  
> Also: CHU2 is best girl and no one can tell me different  
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
